Local Catholics react, search for answers in scandal facing church

ANDREW KENNETH GAYStaff Writer

Published Saturday, May 25, 2002

On Thursday morning, thick clouds lumbering above the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine pushed off to the south as more than a dozen believers stepped from their daily 8 a.m. Mass and into the warmth of the sun.

"It saddens us very much," said one of those leaving the basilica, an 85-year-old St. Augustine woman who wished not to be identified.

"They should certainly be held accountable," she said. "There's only a few bad, that -- like a bad apple -- have destroyed the good that's there. Through all the generations, we've always had the highest respect for our priests."

This woman's thoughts echoed those of many Catholic believers these days, not least of all here in the St. Augustine Diocese, where resides the nation's oldest parish.

In the wake of the massive media storm that followed the scandal -- sexually exploitative priests and the hierarchy that covered for them -- the church has painfully suffered.

"Certainly, on a level of leadership, it is a crisis," said Timothy Johnson, professor of religion at Flagler College and himself of Catholic background.

"In other words," he continued, "if mistakes have been made, they need to be rectified, and clearly, in a number of different situations, the church leaders are going to have to work hard to regain the trust of many of the people in the Catholic church."

However, Johnson does not think the crisis has become a crisis of faith for most Catholics.

"It does not seem to be having any effect that I've been able to notice on people's actual faith life," he said.

"People that I talk to across the country are not telling me 'I'm not going to church' or 'I'm leaving the Catholic faith behind.' It just seems that there is among many people a real sense of disillusionment with the hierarchy and of course a sadness for the victims as well."

The Rev. Father Terrence Morgan, pastor of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine, concurred with Johnson's assessment.

"I feel that lay people are very sensitive," he said. "They feel that they're getting bashed around as much as the priests are," but he has not had anyone come to him for counseling because of a loss of faith in the wake of the scandal.

About a month ago, Father Morgan sent out a Pastor's Letter in the regular Parish bulletin. In his own summary, "It basically said, before we make excuses, even though they may be valid; before we blame the messenger, even though there may be some validity there; before we talk about people piling on Catholics, which may be valid; before all of these other things, we have to do what Christ would do with any wounded person, and that is, get on bended knee and tell the person we're sorry."

Father Morgan stressed the importance of having programs in place to protect the children of the diocese; and indeed, St. Augustine has run detailed fingerprint and background checks on all diocese personnel, from priests to gift shop employees, a policy that is in place throughout and a program Father Morgan himself had to pass through before he could minister here.

According to Kathleen Bagg-Morgan, director of communications for the St. Augustine Diocese, that system of background checks has been in place since summer 1998.

"We did fingerprinting and criminal background checks on more than 12,000 individuals," Bagg-Morgan said. Those numbers include even parents of Catholic schoolchildren who wish to chaperone a school field trip.

According to Bagg-Morgan, the St. Augustine Diocese formed a special response team in the late 1980s to review and act upon all allegations of abuse within the diocese. A psychiatrist, a physician, a registered nurse, an attorney, a priest, and Bagg-Morgan herself make up this team.

After reviewing the facts involved in any allegation, the team reports its findings to the bishop. In any allegation in which the alleged victim is still a child, the team must obey state law and immediately report the allegation to the state Department of Children and Families.

"As a Catholic," said Bagg-Morgan, "of course it is upsetting to hear about these allegations, to hear about the mistakes that were made, and to see your church portrayed the way it is in the news media. However, I truly believe that our church is going to be stronger for it."

Bagg-Morgan said that she believes that now is a time of penance for the church. "We have to focus on identifying the victims and getting them the healing and assistance that they need," she said. "These policies, I think, will begin working for us, now that we have a better understanding on the issues and the treatment and an understanding of the risks that are involved."

For more information on the Diocese of St. Augustine and the many issues involved in instances of clerical abuse, the following Web resources are recommended: www.dosaonline.com, www.StAugCatholic.org, www.flacathconf.org, or call Kathleen Bagg-Morgan in Jacksonville at (904) 262-3200.